Boiler cleaner



March 1, 1932. N. L. SNOW ET AL,

BOILER CLEANER 5 Sheets-Sheet l Original Filed Feb. 9, 1925 5 1001460101 Norma/7 L Jflow (Tamas/f 00X March 1, 1932. N. 1.. sNow ET AL 7,

BOILER CLEANER Original Filed Feb. 9, 1925 s Sheets$heet 2 I lllll 8muamiom Norma/7L. flow Jamue/f' 60Xv m W M 6 attorney? March 1, 1932,

N. L. SNOW ET AL BOILER CLEANER 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 March 1, 1932. N. SNOWET AL BOILER CLEANER Original Filed Feb. 9, 1925 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 March1, 1932.

N. L. SNOW ET AL BOILER CLEANER Original Filed Feb. 9, 1925 5Sheets-Sheet 5 amvehtou 0/ma/7L. Jnow Jamar/F 60%.

l 9? 1 7 m m i fllr IIIIIII L N I I] Patented Mar. 1, 1932 UNITED STATESPATENT} OFFICE NORMAN L. SNOW, OF NEW CAN .AAN, CONNECTICUT,AND-SAMUELI. COX, OF HIGHLAND PAR-K, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNORS TO DIAMONDPOWERzSPECIALTY CORPORATION, OF DETROIT, ,MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OFMICHIGAN BOILER CLEANER Application filed February 9,. 1925,'Seria1 No.8,082. I Renewed April 9, 1981.

The invention relates to boiler cleaners and has among its objects toprovide blower means for discharging jets of cleaning fluid adjacentparts of the boiler to be cleaned. A further feature of the inventionresides in novel means for controlling and operating a boiler cleaner inconnection with a locomotive or other power plant.

Referring to the drawings Figure 1 is an elevation of a locomotiveshowing attached thereto feed water controlled meansfor actuating aboiler cleaner;

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic fragmentary horizontal sectional'view throughone of the 15 side water legs of the locomotive showing the boilercleaner in projected operative position; U

Figure 3 is a detail view of themeter dial showing "the control 1neansfor the boller 2 cleaner;

, Figure 4 is an elevation partly in section showing'tlie means foractuating the boiler cleaner;

Figure is a section --through 55 ofFi-g- '25 lire-4;

Figure 6 is a horizontalfragmentary section showing-the retracting meansfor the blower; V

Figure r'is a view of a locomotive show- 30 ing diagrammatic-ally amodified form for operating a blower froma moving part of thelocomotive. 7 1

Figure "8 is an elevation of the reduction gearing and valve controlmechanism;

Figure '9 isa plan thereof; T

Figure 10 is a plan viewof a detail of a modified construction foractuating a plurality of blowers, and

Figure 11 is an elevation of-thesame show ing the cleaningfluid supplypipesand valves therefor. o I I T In the drawings reference characterAind icates il'l'OCOTflOlSlVG of'suitable construction, having the usualfeed water line "10 including the usual injector or pump (not shown) forinjecting the water into the boiler of the locomotive. The meter B maybe 0f standard or other suitableconstruction fitted with the dials 11 asillustrated in Figure 3." One of toward further revolution thetension ofthe the spring contact will continue its engagement with post 16 untilit snaps past this post boiler cleaner unit or blower element housed the:meter B, the feed water line 10 leading to the dials'is provided with aspring contactf12 rotatably mounted upon pin 13 and connectedelectrically: with a lead 14. Mounted upon the meter in the path of thecontact 12 are the posts 15, 16 and 17, the post 15 being neutral andtheposts 16 and 17 each estabmounted on'post 13,-which is a moving partof the water meter, and is supplied with electrical energy thru the leadwire 14. The water in passing through the meter actuates the dialindicators and when'a predetermined amount of water has passed throughthe meter the spring contact 12 bears against neutral'post 15. As themeter contact is urged spring contact will beincreased until it iscaused to snap past the neutral post 15 and engage the post 16 toestablish an electrical circuit through leads 14 and'18. Likewise andengages post 17 whereby an electrical circuit is establishedthroughleads '14 and 19. The purpose of the electric'circuits will bepresently apparent.

The locomotive A, as shown in Figure 2, is

provided withthe tube-sheet 20, boilertubes 21, and the side walls orwater legs 22 one of which is shown in Figure 2. r C indicates a in asleeve 23 extending through the water leg 22. ,Cleaning fluid from anysuitable source may be supplied tothe blower as by a pipe 26 fed by themain-supply pipe 24, the supply of cleaning fluid to blower C beingregulated by a solenoid valve 25. 27 is a branch supply "pipecommunicating with the main sup ly pipe-.24 through a solenoid valve 28.

he pipe 27 extends across the locomotive and communicates with theblower housed within the water leg on the opposite side. Solenoid valve25 is connected with lead 19' and :the valve 28 is connected with lead18. The lead 14 extends to one-terminalof a source of .en-

.ergy such as a dynamo or battery 29,:the "flo iae 26 has a branch 32terminatin in a nozzle 33 for directing a jet of cleaning fluid againstthe blades of a turbine rotor 34 keyed to shaft 35, the latter beingmounted in the. reduction gear housing D. 36 is a shaft upon which ismounted agear 37driven by the turbine rotor 34 through suitablereduction gearing E. The shaft 36 carries a worm 38 meshing with wormwheel 39 which is provided with a sleeved portion 40 having a splinedconnection with a shaft 41 by reason of the pin 42' engaging the slot 43of the shaft. 3

The cleaning fluid supply pipe 26 commu- ,nicates with a chamber 44 of afixed blower housing 45 mounted within the sleeve 23. This sleeve 23may. be expanded into the water leg of a locomotive boiler. V The blowerC comprisesa slidable part 46 and a slidab le and rotatable blower head47, the part 46 having a pin 48 slidable in a slot 49 of the fixedhousing. The. part 46 also has a port 50 adapted to'successivelyregister, as the blower head 47 is rotated by shaft 41,'with a pluralityof passages 51 each of which terminates in a nozzle 52. The nozzles aredirected at different angles so that as they are successively brought toregister with the port- 50, cleaning fluid will be directed insuccessively advancing jets of cleaning fluid across the tube sheet ofthe locomotive for substantially half the width of the tube sheet, itbeing understood that where two blowers are used the blower on theopposite side will clean the other half of the tube sheet.

Projecting from housing 45 are a plurality of guide pins 53 upon whichis slidably mounted a plate 54 normally urged rearwardly by springs 55.The rear of shaft 41 is provided with a c-ollar;56 pinned at 57 with theshaft 41. A thrust bearing 53. is provided for taking up the thrustproduced by the cleaning fluid acting to project the blower C.

' In operation of the parts, thus far described, the blowers C arenormally housed. within the respective sleeves 23 and thus protectedfrom the heat of the fire chamber. The feed-water in its passage throughthe feed water line 10 also passes through the meter B to indicate inthe customary manner the feed water consumption. The spring contact 12is thus caused to periodically actuate :the blowers successively, theperiod between operations being dependent upon the feed waterconsumption which affords a highly registration with port desirable andeflicient method of blowing. Thus as the contact 12 snaps off theneutral post 15, during the course of its revolution, it first contactswith the post 16 to establish a circuit through leads 14, 18 to actuatethe: solenoid valve 28 whereby cleaning fluid from the main supply pipe24 is conducted through the pipe 27 to the blower on the side oppositethat shown in Figure 1. The period of automatic operation of the blowersis dependent upon the steam consumption or rate of flow of the feedwater and also the ratio between the movement of the contact 12 and thefeed water flow. In a meter'of usual construction the various indicatorsof the dials 11 move at relatively differing speeds in proportion to agiven flow of fluid through the meter and thusby selecting a suitabledial 11 for litting the electric posts for the blower circuits, a cycleof any desired frequency of blowing is afljorded as well as a wide rangeof time intervals of actual blowing, the latter corresponding to thetime of contact of the contact 12 with one ofthe posts 16 or 1?. Thusafter the contact, 12 has actuated the blower on the far side of thelocomotive, as viewed inFigure 1, the contact 12 snaps past the post 16to engage post 17 to establish a circuit through the leads 14, 19 so asto actuate the solenoid valve 25 to admit cleaning fluid from the mainsupply pipe 24 to the pipe 26 leading to the blower shown in Figure 1.Simultaneously the circuit through leads 14, 1 8 is broken whereby thesolenoid valve 28 closes to cut off the supply of steam to the blowerconnected with the pipe 27. de'rstood that thesequence of operation ofthe blowers is immaterial and that if desirable a single blower might beprovided of such capacity as to clean the entire tube sheet and otherparts to be cleaned.

Upon actuation of the solenoid valve 25 ,to

admit cleaning fluid from the main supply pipe 24 to the pipe 26, theblower is automatically projected forwardly under the influ-..

ence of the cleaning fluid and against the action of the springs 55,into the position shown in Figure 5. Thus the blower head 47 and part 46are projected forwardly the latter part guided by the engagement of thepin 48 with 'theslot 49. The rod 41 carrying the blower head is alsoprojected forwardly toward the fire box, carrying also the plate 54 andcompressing springs 55, the thrust hearing 58 absorbing the force of thethrust. The shaft 41 has splined engagement at 42, 43

with the 'worm wheel 39 whereby the, worm wheel can actuate the shaft 41in-its projected position. Cleaning fluid supplied through pipe '26passes through the chamber 44 and thence to thestationary port 50 forsuccessively supplying cleaning fluid to the passsages 51' as they aresuccessively brought into 50 as will be presently apparent. 1 Y 7 Itshould be un- Simultaneously with the projecting of the blower, cleaningfluid passinglthrough pipe '26 and branch pipe 32 is ejectedfrom'nozzlc33 to act'upon the turbine 34 to cause rotation of shaft 35. The lattershaft, through the re duction gearing E, serves torotate the shaft 36carrying the worm 38 which in turn ace tuates shaft ll to rotate theblower'head 47 relatively'to the part 4:6. Thus cleaning fluid issuccessively supplied to the nozzles 52 which, by reason of theirvarying angularity, cause'jets of cleaning fluid to sweep thetube sheetso as to trace lines across the tube sheet advancing to substantiallymidway of the tube sheet, where two blowers areemployed. Byproportioning the'relative circumferential'length of the port 50 andpassages 51 the cleaning fluid may be admitted-and cut oii at thedesired points so as to restrict the jets of cleaning fluid to the partsof the boiler to be cleaned. Upon breaking of the circuit through leads14, 19, the solenoid valve actsjto cut ofl the supply ofqcleaning fluidto the pipe 26, thesprings 55 acting on plate 54: and shaft 41 to returnthe sleeve 23. a p

The blowers'will then remain inoperative until a predetermined amount ofwaterhas the blower within 7 been supplied. to the boiler so as to causean other'revolution, of the spring contact 12 to :againrepeat the cycledescribed above.

Instead oicausing the blowers to be automatically actuated after passageof a predetermined/amount of feed water to the boiler.

by a movable member 12 responsive to'the flow of feed water, suchautomatic'control of the blowers might be effected from other. movingpartsof the power plant. As a further illustration, of ourrinvent-ionthe following mechanism may bejprovided; V s Referring to Figure 'Z'thelocomotive A may-be equipped with a blower C, reduction I ear housin' D,which includes the turbine e g "and reduction mechanism for actuatingthe blower, cleaning fluid supply pipe 26'", and branch 32,,a ll-of-Wh1'Cl1 parts may be similarly constructed as the corresponding-partsdescribed above.

Suitably supported. or suspended as by brackets from-a convenient partof the locomotiveas' the running board 59 is a-gear box F, whichcontains a gear 6l'mounted on a shaft .62. 63 indicates a sh'aflftcarrying a disc 64:, the shaft 63 being'actua-ted from the gear-61through a suitable train of reduction gears G. Upon thediscfia isa cam65 in the path of: which is a valve stem 66 carrying a valve disc 67.The valve disc 67' controls the passage of cleaning fluid from a mainsupply )i )e .68 connected with 'a suitable source of l. v

. cleaning fluid such as the steam dome 69, to the supply pipe 26. Hindicates the fitting which encloses the valve 67 and connects the.pipes 68 and 26.

I A spring 0 normally holds the valve 67 upon its seat 71 to prevent thepassage of cleaning fluid 'fromthemain supply pipe 68 to the pipe-26.:721is a rocker arm which maybe rockingly'supportedzat 73 from aconvenient part of the locomotive.

Connected at 74with the rocker arm 72 isia dog 75 which engagesxtheteeth on gear 61 to actuate the same. The rocker armimaybe rocked byconnecting it with any suitable movable part of thelocomotive as, forexample, the rocker arm may be connected at 63 with the main locomotivevalve actuating mechanism J. J

I'fpreferred, 'a blower C may be located on either side of thelocomotive, the mechanism shown in Figure 7 being duplicated on I theother side; or if preferred, a single blower may be employed ofsuitablecapacity for cleaning all of the parts desired; or a blower may belocated in each of the side wall water legs of the locomotive, bothblowers being controlled by mechanism on only one side of thelocomotive. .To the latterend the mechanism as described above may bemodified as shownin Figures 10 and 11. In these views the disc 64: isformed with a pair of cams 65 and 65 which rotate in separate planes andare adapted to successively engage the valvestems .66? and 66 ofthefittingsH and H respectively to unseat the valves 67 and 67 The valve67*, upon being unseated by contact ofthe cam 65*- w'ith the valve stem66, admits cleaning fluid from the supply pipe 68 to the pipe 26 whichsupplies cleaning fluid to one ofthe blowers on .one side of thelocomotive. The disc 64 may be actuated in a manner corresponding to themechanism .described for operating the disc 64 and the posite to thatcommunicating with the pipe 3 1 By arranging suitable gearing at G, onerevolution of'the disc6l or 64' may be made to correspond to any'nuniberof miles of travel of the locomotive so that the tube sheet,-

tubes and other parts of the boiler can be cleaned every timethe-locomotive travels a predetermined distance. The cams 65, or 65' and65 may be suitablyshaped to give the performance of the blowers asdesired. For x example by increasing or decreasing the circumferentialface of the cams, the period of blowing may be increased or decreased.The

valve stems66, or 66 and 66*, will be actuated slowly or quicklydepending on how steep. the" radial faces of the respective cams are, aswill be readily understood.

In operation, after a predetermined distance has been travelled by thelocomotive, the rocker arm 72 will have actuated the dog 7 5 and gear 61so that the disc 64 will have been rotated sufliciently to cause the cam65 to act upon the valve stem 66 to unseat the valve 67 as shownin-Figure 8, thus supplying cleaning fluid from the main supply pipe 68to the pipe 26 and thence to the blower such as shown in Figures 4, 5and 6. As the disc 64% continue-s to slowly rotate, the cam 65 will becarried beyond the point of engagement of the cam and valve stem 66,whereupon the spring 70 will return the valve 67 to its seat and-causethe blower to be retracted to its inoperative position. Likewise, theblower on the opposite side of the locomotive will function in anypredetermined time relation every time the locomotive has travelled apredetermined distance.

In the modification shown in Figures 10 and 11, in which the actuatingmechanism for the blowers is entirely located on one side of thelocomotive, the disc 6e first actuates one of the valve stems, as 66 bycontact with the cam ers used in connection with stationary power plantsmay be llkewise caused-to automaticah ly function after a predeterminedconsumption of feed water whlch corresponds to a predetermmed generationof steam or after a predetermined movement of any convenient movingpartassociated with the'power plant. Furthermore, instead of employing lowerunits of the construction shown in Figures l, 5 and 6, it is obviousthat any, other suitable construction of blower unit might be substituted therefor. For example, instead of employing a blowerhaving arotatable blower head as shown in Figure 5,- a blower oscillated bysuitable mechanlsm might be employed, or

' a non-rotating, non-retracting or non-oscillatmg blower might also beemployed in which latter instance the mechanisms provided by ourinvention might serve to automatically admit cleaning fluid to suchblowers at predetermined intervals. Also, if desired, both of theblowers described, or any number of blowers could be operatedsimultaneously or in any sequence preferred.

'lVh'at we claim as our invention'is 1. In combination wlth a boilerincluding i a feed water sn 1 therefor, a boiler cleaner unit, asupplyof cleaning fluid, and means controlled by the feed water supply foradmitting cleaningfiuid from said cleaning fluid supply to said unit.

2. The combination with a boiler, of a cleaner unit therefor, and meanscontrolled by the quantity of feed water supplied to the boiler forperiodically operating the cleaner unit.

4. The combination with a locomotive provided with a feed water supplypipe, of a blower unit for cleaning parts of the locomotive boiler,means for actuating said blower unit, and means actuated by the flow offeed water in said supply pipe for periodically and automaticallysetting the first mentioned means into operation.

5. The combination with a locomotive provided with a feed water supplypipe, of a blower unit for cleaning parts of the locomotive boiler,means for actuating said blower unit, and means controlled by the flowof feed water in said supply pipe for setting said first mentioned meansinto operation.

6. The combination with a boiler providedwith a feed water supplypipe,of a projectable and retractable blower unit for cleaning parts of theboiler and feed water controlled means for controlling the projection ofsaid blower into cleaning position.

7. The combination with a boiler provided with a feed water supply pipe,of a proprojectable and retractable blower unit for cleaning parts. ofthe boiler and feed water controlled means for effecting projection ofsaid blower into cleaning position, and a spring associated with theblower for thereafter retracting the blower.

8. The combination with a boiler provided with a feed water supply pipe,of aproj ectable blower unit normally housed within a wall 7 of theboiler, a supply of cleaning fluid, and

feed water controlled means for controlling the admission of cleaningfluid to said blower and for thereby controlling the projection of theblower.

'9. In combination with a boiler provided with a feed water supply pipe,a boiler cleaner unit therefor, a supply of cleaning fluid forsaid unit,a valve controlling the passage of cleaning fluid from said supply tosaid unit, and feed water controlled means for periodically operatingthe valve, dependent upon the passage of a predetermined amount of feedwater through said feed water supply pipe.

10. In combination with a boiler provided with a feed water supply pipe,a boiler cleaner unit, a supply of cleaning fluid for said unit, asolenoid valve controlling the passage of cleaning fluid from saidsupply to said" unit, means operable tatable and projectable blowerunit, a valve controlled source of cleaning fluid for said blower unit,and means controlled by said feed water for opening the valve foradmitting cleaning fluid to the blower and for thereby effecting theprojection and rotation of said blower.

18. In combination with a boiler provided with a water supply pipe, aboiler cleaner unit, a supply of cleaning fluid, a prime mover formoving the said unit, and feed water controlled means for admittingcleaning fluid to said unit for cleaning parts of the boiler and forefl'ecting the operation of the prime mover.

14. In combination with a boiler provided with a feed water supply pipe,a movable boiler cleaner unit, a supply of cleaning fluid, a fluidoperated prime mover geared with the cleaner unit for moving the same,and feed water controlled means for conducting cleaning fluid to saidunit for cleaning parts of the boiler and to said prime mover where bythe prime mover is actuated to move the boiler cleaner unit. p

15. In combination with-a locomotive boiler having a tube sheet, sidewall water legs and a feed water supply pipe, a source of cleaningfluid, a projectable and rotatable blower unit normally housed withineach water leg for directing a jet of cleaning fluidagain the locomotivetube sheet, means operated by the cleaning fluid for projecting eachblower, means operated by the cleaning fluid for rotating each blower,and feed water controlled means periodically and automatically actingupon passage of a predetermined amount of feed water through said supplypipe for successively supplying cleaning fluid to the blowers from saidsource of cleaning fluid and for thereby successively effecting therotation and projection of said blowers.

16. In combination with aboiler including a feed water supply therefor,a plurality of boiler cleaner units forcleaning parts of the boiler, asource of cleaning fluid, and feed water controlled means for supplyingcleaning fluid to said blowers.

17. In combination with a boiler including a feed water supply pipetherefor, a plurality of boiler cleaner units for cleaning parts of theboiler, a valve controlled source unit-r:

of-cleaningafluidfor:the units, meansfor actuatingl'said valve, andmeans oontrdlfedl by the I passage of feed water through said supply.pipe for setting? said first: mentioned quantity of .feed water has beensupplied?" to 'the boiler-n. 1 20:. The combination with alocomotive!having a boiler, or: a fluid. conduit commune eating with the boiler, 4the amount" of fluid'r passing through. said conduit being? de-rpen-dence upon th'emate of boiler: operation; a member-.movable intimedrelation the;

passage of'fluid throughsaidEconduit, a boi'lw' 7 cleaner: unit", and:means actuated by thei'said' movable member for automatically controllingKtheg operation of the saidaboilercleaner 211:. The combination witha locomotive boiler having a tube sheet, afeed? waten sup; ply pipe,anda plurality of blower units for discharging cleaning fluid towardsaid tube: sheet, of; means operable in dependence upon' the flowoat;feedawatenthrough said supply pipefor periodicallyand successivelyating-the-saidblower unitsi. r l

. 2-2.1? [Eh'ei method of cle aningztliose surfaces: of a boiler whichare exposed to the products of co nbustion which consists" inefleicfltinigt a removal of the deposits from: said; sin-hoesperiodieallyoin, dependence upon the supply of predetermined} quantitiesof water to saidaboiler.

23.- The, combination with iaboilr fluid conduit.commnnicatingwith:theboiler;

the amount of'fluid passing through mid con-a duit beingfi-n dependence:on the? rate of boiler means'op'erable' in dependence-upon the of fluidthrough said conduit for controlling? the operationfof said-cleanerunit:

24. The method of cleaning a boiler which consists in periodicallydischarging cleaning fluid adjacent thlportionsfi of the boiler to becleaned in dependence upon the quantity of feed water supplied to theboiler.

25. The combination with a boiler, of a plurality of cleaner unitstherefor, and means by the quantity of feed water supplied to the boilerfor operating thecleaner unit, said meansincluding va contact armmovable into andiout of engagement with a stationary contact independence upon the quantity of feed Water supplied to the boiler.

27. .The combination with. a boiler, of a cleaner unit'therefor,and'means controlled by the quantity of feed water supplied to the iboiler foricontrolling the operation of the cleaner; unit, said meansincluding a meter having a shaft movable in timed relation to the flowof feed water to the boiler, and a contact member movable by said shaft.

- 28. The combination with a boiler, of a cleaner unit therefor, andmeans controlled by the quantity of feed water supplied to theboiler-for controlling the operation ofthe said cleaner unit, said meansincluding a pin rotatable in timed relation to the flow of feed water tothe boiler, a stationary contact, and a resilientcontact carried by saidpin and movable-into and out of engagementwith said stationary contact,the resiliency of said second mentioned contact providing for engagementof said contact with the stationary contact during a portion of. therotation of said pin. r V

:29. The combination with a boiler, of a casing having a cleaning fluidinlet anda supply port, a projectable blower journaled in said casinghaving a plurality of ports adapted to be successively'placed incommunication with said supply port upon relative movement of the blowerand casing, and means controlled by the quantity of feed water suppliedto the boiler. for effecting a relative movement of the blower andeasing whereby said successive communication is effected."

30. The combination with a boiler, of a casing providedwith a cleaningfluid inlet and cleaning fluid supply passage, a blower member rotatablymounted in said casing and provided with a plurality of nozzles adaptedto be placed in communication successively with thecleaning fluid supplypassage in said casing upon rotation of the blower member, and meanscontrolled by the quantity of feed water supplied to the boiler foreflecting a rotation of said blower member relative to said casing.v a

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures.

' NORMAN L. SNOW.

SAMUEL F. COX.

